Show Holds Stage 1 In Rookie ie Follies romes By TOM SILER CHICAGO Feb 26 AP The AP-The The hungry baseball-hungry public has been devouring choice tidbits all winder win in papers and periodicals periodicals periodicals cals about eccentric Lou but the skeptical ever-skeptical fans still dont don't know if hes he's a big league ball player He isn't far from being the most noted rookie who ever graduated to the major leaguers The customers customers customers cus cus- have been told that Lou sings a captivating baritone plays a mean harmonica spurns vaudeville vaudeville vaudeville vaude vaude- ville offers to concentrate on baseball baseball baseball base base- ball bats better when when he l is imad mad and lands on bad pitches as well as grooved ones t Can He lie Slit Hit But the one unanswered and burning question is Can the 25 year-old year Russian hit big league pitching He Ue has been built up as asa asa asa a super-hitter super who can hit anything anything anything any any- thing within reach the tales comIng coming cornIng com corn ing out of the minors regarding his batting eye are fabulous and endless end end- less But what will wUl he do when he faces Bucky Walters Paul Derringer Derringer Derringer Der Der- ringer Lon Lost Warneke etc In many ways has earned the build Mild He led the Pacific coast league last year in batting with a mark and topped the circuit in home runs runs batted in In runs scored total hits and total bases He previously had led the Texas and Three-Eye Three leagues In batting and ranked second second sec see ond in the Western association with a average I But these figures are particularly particularly particularly unimpressive to o Cub fans who have seen three champion sluggers of the minors fall fail to solve big league pitching in the past five years Joe Marty was was wat the the Coast league batting champion at in 1936 But in a Cub uniform he never never never nev nev- er reached finally going to the Phillies in a trade The next year Coaker Triplett came up from the Southern association asso association asso- asso elation with a fancy mark He lasted 12 games before being shipped to the American Last year Dominic made his Cub debut after topping Coast league batters with a average in 1939 Dominic hit last season He still may make the grade but Cub fans have sound reason reason for adopting a show me attitude the most unpredictable character to hit the big time since Dizzy De Dean n emerged from the cotton cotton cotton cot cot- ton fields apparently has no fears of failure He was not exactly overjoyed overjoyed overjoyed over over- joyed at the salary offered by the Cubs and hasn't yet signed 4 |